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Mayor Eric Adams met with President-elect Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan at Gracie Mansion on Thursday to talk about immigration under the incoming administration.
“We’re going to protect the rights of immigrants in this city that are hard-working, giving back to the city in a real way. We’re not going to be a safe haven for those who commit repeated violent crimes," he said at a news briefing after the meeting.
The two met earlier in the day along with New York City regional field director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Kenneth Genalo.
The mayor said he and Homan share the same desire of taking immigrants who commit violent crimes out of the five boroughs.
“Our legal team is vetting. So we have the authorization to sit down and speak with the ICE legal team to operationalize what both our desires are, and once we get that approval, then we will give you a complete layout of how it’s going to work," Adams said.
The city is a sanctuary city that has limited communication with federal authorities.
Adams said he’s also weighing potential executive orders as well to change the law protecting migrants.
Ahead of the meeting, pro-immigrant groups slammed the mayor because Trump has vowed to deport millions of migrants — not just those accused of or convicted of crimes.
“We are upset that Adams had requested this meeting with Homan, who we know has repeatedly attacked our communities, has plans to deport entire immigrant communities and under the first administration, he was responsible for family separation,” Yatziri Tovar of Make the Road New York said.
Other New York Democrats also denounced the meeting and Adams’ previous misstatement about immigrants due process rights.
“I think the mayor, especially, should understand the importance of due process. And the importance of innocent until proven guilty,” Rep. Dan Goldman said Thursday.
“Morally and legally the constitution, unlike what the mayor has said, it does protect immigrants, does protect everyone here, even if he doesn’t think so,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.
Some of Adams’ primary opponents in the mayor’s race criticized the meeting, saying he’s trying to cozy up to the incoming Trump administration in hopes of a pardon on his federal corruption case.
At one point on Thursday, Adams pushed back on some of the speculation related to the meeting and his recent openness to deport certain migrants.
“I’ve stated this over and over again, long before this election, that this can’t be a safe haven for violent individuals. You have a right, a privilege to live in this country, and those who want to commit acts of violence, they are violating that privilege," Adams said.
